Turns out that adorable little girl who stood open-mouthed in front of Michelle Obama’s official portrait didn’t know she was looking at a former First Lady — she thought she was looking at a queen.

According to 2-year-old Parker Curry’s mother, Jessica Curry, her daughter’s eyes were super-glued to Amy Sherald’s portrait of Obama in the National Portrait Gallery as soon as they passed by the painting. Nearby stood visitor Ben Hines, who snapped the photo of the 2-year-old that quickly went viral.

Donna Hines & I made a pilgrimage today and we were delighted to wait in line behind this fellow art lover & hopeful patriot.

“Parker was in front on the portrait, and I really wanted her to turn around so I could get a picture with her, and she genuinely, honestly would not turn around,” Curry told CNN. “She was uncooperative with me because she was just so focused on the portrait and studying it, and she was just so fascinated.”

Curious about her daughter’s infatuation with the painting, Curry told CNN that she asked Parker to describe her interest in it, which was met with an unbelievably powerful and endearing response.

“In further discussion with (Parker) yesterday and today, I realized that she believes Michelle Obama is a queen, and she wants to be a queen as well …,” Curry said. “As a female and as a girl of color, It’s really important that I show her people who look like her that are doing amazing things and are making history so that she knows she can do it.”